Merry and Bright
by LSUsweetie
Summary: Hermione's year has been awful. She's not feeling the Christmas spirit. Someone notices how down she's been and in an attempt to bring her joy, they send her a beautiful Advent calendar. Who could have sent it and how could they possibly know all of those personal things about her?
1. Chapter 1

Written for Harmony and Co's Christmas Advent! Many thanks to my wonderful alpha/beta RooOJoy!

xXx

Chapter 1

Slamming her office door, Hermione leaned back against the wooden frame, stopping to take a deep, cleansing breath as she gazed around her small sanctuary. Finally, she was in a room with no holly, no berries, and no bleeding piped in Christmas carols. She couldn't take another moment of all that damn cheer. It was the first day of December and it seemed that overnight all of her coworkers in the Department of the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had transformed into some kind of demented Christmas elves. Hermione typically enjoyed Christmas as much as anyone, she wasn't a Scrooge after all. Unfortunately, the season had become more difficult for her after the war, and this year, well, this year had been the worst. She simply couldn't see it improving just because it was Christmastime.

With a sigh, Hermione tried to focus her attention on the report that she was writing, but amidst the festive spirit, she couldn't help but be distracted by thoughts of what a dreadful year 2004 had proven to be. It started off with her getting dumped on New Year's Day. She had been dating Theo Nott for nearly seven months, a record for her, and had begun to have feelings for him. She was beginning to think that he may be the right person to spend her life with. He was intelligent, kind, and interested in being with her because they were intellectual equals who enjoyed the same things. This had drawn her to him because he was nothing like the countless others who wanted to be with her for the fame. Unfortunately, when she'd attempted to confess her feelings, he'd shut her down and told her in no uncertain terms that he wasn't ready to settle down, and didn't know if he ever wanted a family at all.

Theo left quickly after that and sent her a long letter the following day. In the letter, he apologized for leading her on and explained that while he'd grown to care for her deeply, he felt that she deserved someone who wanted the same things that she wanted. He informed her that he would be leaving the country and taking some time to travel. He ended the letter by saying that she would always have a place in his heart but that she should find someone truly deserving of her love.

Being dumped so unexpectedly and in the midst of confessing her feelings had been the first event in a series of things that had made her year quite difficult. After that, Crookshanks finally passed away in March. He'd never been the same since she'd found him after the war but she loved him nonetheless and losing him had been devastating. Then, Ron had gotten married in June. She was happy for him and Susan. They truly seemed perfect for each other. It wasn't that she was jealous. It just felt like she was being left behind. As an overachiever who always wanted to be the first to meet every goal, it was difficult to see her friends doing things before her.

To top it all off, she finally halted attempts to restore her parents' memories. She'd been paying a team of mind healers to follow their case and make regular attempts at bringing back their memories. The healers had tried everything, even some experimental therapies. The latest and most invasive therapy was developed specifically for the Grangers and utilized Hermione's memories in an attempt to stimulate their minds and help them to recall what had been locked away. They'd done this all without the Grangers' knowledge which made it all the more difficult. Finally, acknowledging that they had gone six years without the slightest improvement, Hermione made the difficult decision to leave them alone and allow them to be happily ignorant of her existence as Wendall and Monica Wilkins.

Now, with Christmas approaching, the year was nearly over and she wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere until she could say goodbye and good riddance to 2004. After the year that she'd had, she wasn't up to pretending to be cheerful and festive.

Deciding that she wasn't going to get any more work done that day, she did something very un-Hermione-like and headed home early. Entering her cozy flat, she immediately noticed the package that was sitting on the table in front of her sofa. It stood out because she hadn't bothered with Christmas decorations and wasn't planning to, and it happened to be a beautifully wrapped Christmas present.

Briefly, she wondered if it could be something malicious but immediately dismissed the thought, knowing that her wards would keep anything dangerous out, even things delivered by owl post. Taking a seat on her sofa, she reached for the box, admiring the wrappings as she placed it in her lap. The paper was a lovely shimmery white with gold foil Christmas trees covering the surface. The package was topped with a big gold bow with ribbons trailing down the sides.

Seeing that there wasn't a card attached, she carefully began to unwrap the paper. When she'd removed all of it, she folded it neatly and placed it on the sofa next to her before pulling off the lid of the box. Reaching inside, she drew out the contents. It was a large box made from wood that had been sanded smooth and painted white. Noticing tiny hinges at the seam, she opened it and gasped, her eyes immediately filling with wistful tears.

A heavy feeling settled in her chest. It was the bittersweet longing for what she'd lost combined with the happiness that she felt in receiving such a lovely gift. The white box was actually a beautiful, solid white Advent calendar, the bottom made up of twenty-four tiny numbered drawers, and the top was a carved holiday scene featuring Father Christmas and his reindeer. It was almost the same as the one she'd had as a child. The calendar that her mum had lovingly filled with small treats and trinkets every year for her to enjoy during the days leading up to Christmas.

Examining it more closely, Hermione realized that it was an exact replica, the wood carving holding the very same scenes as the one from her childhood. The only thing missing was the chip in the wood that she'd caused when magic had exploded from her in her excitement about Christmas at age six. She and her parents didn't have an explanation for what had suddenly sent the calendar flying off of the table that Christmas. They determined that it must have been placed at the edge and fallen on its own. It wasn't until Hermione came home for the holidays during her first year at Hogwarts and saw the chip that she realized what had actually happened.

For a moment, she allowed herself to wonder if somehow it could be from her parents. Could the healers have been wrong? Was it possible that they started to regain some of their memories?

Sighing sadly, a lone tear trickled down her cheek. She knew that her parents hadn't sent this. They hadn't suddenly improved so vastly that they would remember details like this, much less that they even had a daughter.

Shaking off the melancholy that had settled over her, she turned her attention back to the gorgeous Advent calendar. Reaching out, she opened the first drawer and felt as if all the air had been sucked from the room. Her eyes immediately welling with tears. Tears that were filled with longing for what she was missing with her parents at the same time as her heart felt so full that it would burst with happiness. She'd understood what the word bittersweet meant but never before had she felt it so powerfully. Inside was a small package of fine chocolates from her favorite chocolatier in Switzerland. A shop that she discovered while on a skiing holiday with her parents. These chocolates were her favorite muggle sweet and her mum always made sure that she had them for one of her advent treats.

Breaking out of her reverie, she realized that there was something else in the drawer. Pulling it out, she saw that it was a note. Opening it, she read...

_Hermione, _

_I wanted a way to make you smile again. This past year has been incredibly rough for you. I needed to let you know that someone sees you... I see you. _

_I wracked my brain for a way to give you a truly Happy Christmas. The kind of Christmas that you deserve. I wanted something that would remind you of those wonderful years that you spent Christmas with your parents, while creating new memories for you, with you._

_Hopefully, we can celebrate those happy memories together for years to come, with traditions new and old. _

_Love, _

_Father Christmas_

_P.S. I've charmed the drawers so that they can only be opened on their proper day. Don't try to get ahead, just enjoy. Please don't take this as a challenge that needs to be solved. I promise that you will find out who I am in due time. _

Stomach full of madly fluttering butterflies and her heart feeling as if it would beat right out of her chest, Hermione turned the note over in her hands. Searching for something that would identify the sender. She didn't recognize the handwriting but that wasn't helpful as there were loads of charms for disguising one's handwriting.

He... that was another thing. Although nothing identified the sender as male, and it could possibly be from one of her female friends, she was certain that it was from a man. It was something that she felt deep in her gut. Though she was a logical person through and through, she had learned to trust her intuition when it was screaming at her so loudly, as it was this time.

Sitting back on her sofa. Taking a moment to open the package of chocolates and savor the first, decadent bite, Hermione considered what she'd been sent. Could it possibly be a coincidence that someone sent her the exact Advent calendar that she'd loved as a child and the same chocolates that her parents always bought for her? One or the other could possibly be coincidental, but not both. She just couldn't understand how anyone could know these details. She'd never discussed these things with anyone. Not even her closest friends. Her parents were the only ones who had been privy to these kinds of details and they weren't in any fit state to reveal it to anyone. How on earth did the mysterious sender know about any of this?

The rest of the evening, Hermione couldn't get the identity of her mystery man off her mind. She'd even gone as far as to turn the entire wooden calendar over, examining it closely for any markings that may identify where it had come from. Finding nothing, no maker's mark, no store insignia, she finally realized that it had been custom made, not mass-produced.

This realization brought a return of the warm tingly feeling that she'd gotten while reading the note. Whoever this was had gone to great lengths to recreate her childhood tradition.

xXx

After a restless night, Hermione groaned as she rolled out of bed. Then she remembered the calendar and as it was now the morning of December second, she could open the next drawer and find out what it held. Rushing into the sitting room, she did just that.

Taking several deep breaths in an attempt to calm her nerves, Hermione reached for the drawer. Opening it, she saw that there was an envelope inside. Again, there was a note but also some sort of certificate. Looking down at the note, she read...

_Today's gift isn't from your past. It's a little something to provide warmth on a cold winter's day. Skip your usual tea and toast, breakfast awaits you at The Roost._

Slightly confused, Hermione examined the certificate more closely and saw that it was a gift cert from the new muggle style coffee shop in Diagon Alley. The shop was called The Roost.

Dressing quickly, but making sure that she looked nice as she realized that she'd been neglecting her appearance lately. Hermione apparated to Diagon Alley. It was quite a cold morning and she shivered lightly when she stopped to gather her bearings. Looking around, she located the small shop and walked inside.

As she entered The Roost, she was immediately enveloped by the warm air and the delicious aromas of coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla. The shop was cozy and the atmosphere made her want to sink down into one of the comfortable-looking leather chairs and lose herself in a book. Promising herself that she would return and do just that one weekend soon, she approached the counter, and was greeted warmly, "Good morning, Ms. Granger, we were told to expect you. You are to choose anything that you would like. It's already been taken care of. My name is Sarah and I'm happy to help you."

Looking at the menu and the delicious looking pastries in the case, Hermione decided that she would pick something that wasn't typical for her. This was supposed to be a treat after all. Smiling, she requested, "I'll have a cinnamon bun and a mocha latte, please."

Nodding, Sarah told her, "Fantastic choices! The cinnamon buns are especially delicious today!"

Looking on as the barista made the steaming drink and pulled out a fat bun dripping with frosting, Hermione asked, "Can you possibly shed some light on who is responsible for setting this up for me? Even just a tiny hint? Please!"

Smiling brightly, the young woman shook her head, "I'm sorry but I don't know. The owner left instructions, saying to expect you to come by and that we were to treat you well and give you anything, and everything you wanted," eyes widening with the realization, she exclaimed, "you've got yourself some kind of secret admirer! How exciting and romantic!"

Sighing in disappointment, Hermione mumbled, "Something like that," before thanking Sarah for her help and turning to leave. On a whim, she decided that since this was a special breakfast, she would eat at one of the little tables and enjoy the warmth and comfort offered by the shop before heading into work.

Taking a seat in a secluded corner near a Christmas tree decorated with brightly colored miniature teacups, she took a bite of the cinnamon bun and sighed in delight when the flavors exploded on her tongue. It was the perfect bun, in her opinion. The pastry was soft and not overly sweet with just the right amount of cinnamon. The sticky frosting on top added just the perfect amount of sweetness. Sipping at her coffee, she decided that she would definitely be back again soon. This place was amazing.

Arriving at work, Hermione felt differently about the Christmas cheer surrounding her. Yesterday, it had made her feel claustrophobic, anxious, and slightly angry. Today, she saw everything in a different light. Smiling when she caught herself humming along with a familiar song, she thought about the note that had come with the first gift and realized that whoever sent her the calendar was already accomplishing the goal of making her happier this Christmas.

xXx

The next morning, Hermione awoke refreshed and excited to see her gift for the day. Rushing into the next room, she opened drawer three and read the note first...

_Enjoy the spirit of the season and be a kid again._

Curious now, wondering what could possibly bring out her inner child, she grabbed the tiny envelope that was still in the drawer and shrieked, dropping the package in shock as it magically enlarged once it was free of the small space. Laughing at herself, she looked inside and actually squealed in delight, Hermione Granger, squealed. Well, she thought to herself, that should count toward being a kid again, right?

The thing that had created such a delightful response was none other than a Christmas themed muggle coloring book and a large box of crayons. Opening the box, she inhaled deeply and felt an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. The scent of a brand new box of crayons had always made her happy and that hadn't changed just because she was now an adult.

Again, her thoughts went to her parents who always added art supplies to her calendar, usually crayons. And to the person who had sent this to her, whoever he was, somehow knew all of these details. She still couldn't work out how anyone could possibly know.

Looking at the coloring book and colors, she mournfully set them on her table and went to prepare breakfast. Desperately wishing that it wasn't a workday so she could sit and color. Sadly, she had work that day but as it was Friday, she would have the weekend to do whatever she wanted. Thumbing through the pages as she ate her simple breakfast, she decided that the next morning she would color until her heart was content.

Waking the next morning she realized happily that it was finally Saturday. Rising early, as was her habit, she stayed in her pajamas, deciding to have a lazy day. Looking forward to her plans, she went to see what day four held.

Opening the box she found a beautiful pure white quill. It was stunning, but she wasn't sure what kind of bird it would come from.

Glancing at the accompanying note she read...

_This quill is made from the feather of a swan. Swans are amazing creatures. When they find a mate, it's for life. _

Deciding that she wasn't quite ready to think about the implications of that statement, Hermione admired her lovely quill for a few minutes before putting it away on her desk and moving into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. After making a pot of tea and a plate of toast, she made herself comfortable in her little kitchen nook and ate breakfast as she set to filling in a picture in her new coloring book.

Halfway through a cup of tea and a slice of toast, Hermione was so engrossed in her coloring that she didn't hear her floo roar to life. When a shadow fell across the page of her coloring book, she instinctively grabbed her wand. A familiar voice made her stop.

"I'm sorry I startled you. I thought you would have heard the floo," laughed Harry.

Looking up into his brilliant green eyes, Hermione blushed slightly. A bit embarrassed at being so caught up in a frivolous activity that she failed to hear him arrive, "Well, I didn't. I was busy," she retorted defiantly.

Harry smirked and asked teasingly, "Coloring, Hermione? Enjoying yourself?"

Relieved that he didn't appear to think it was odd to find her engaged in the childish activity, she responded, "I am actually, want to join me?"

"Sure, I'd like that," replied Harry, sliding onto the small bench next to her.

Being close enough to share a single coloring book required Harry to press right up against her. She felt her heart skip a beat, and her stomach flip as his thigh pressed against hers. This was the way she reacted each time he was close enough for accidental contact. Which, was a lot. He was her best friend after all. Unfortunately, her feelings were one-sided so, she had to make do with their friendship.

Taking a moment to calm herself, Hermione finally spoke, "You know that you're welcome anytime. I wasn't expecting you this morning though, did we have plans that slipped my mind?"

Putting down the crayon in his hand, Harry grinned at her, "Nope. I just had an idea and I wanted you to come with me. Want to finish your breakfast, get dressed, and come have some fun with me?"

Giving Harry and appraising look, she took in his appearance. He was dressed for comfort and warmth, "What do you have in mind? Am I going to be cold?"

Laughing, Harry told her, "It's a surprise, but a good one. You won't be cold if you dress warmly. Come on, I promise you'll have a great time."

"Well, I suppose I can go. I did have big plans to have a lazy day, but maybe I can be persuaded," she said teasingly, knowing that she could never say no to Harry, unless it involved flying on a broomstick.

Emerald eyes sparkling, Harry nudged her, "Great! Finish eating then go get ready."

A short time later, Hermione emerged from her room, freshly showered. She was wearing fleece-lined leggings and a soft, olive green oversized jumper paired with boots that reached her knee. Grabbing her coat and pulling on her hat she told Harry that she was ready to go.

Wordlessly, Harry held out a hand. When she grabbed on, he turned on the spot and she immediately felt the suffocating feeling of apparition before landing in an unfamiliar wooded area. Having been unprepared for apparating, she stumbled a bit. Harry placed the hand not already holding hers at her waist to steady her. When she was no longer in danger of falling, he led the way out of the trees, never letting go of her hand.

"Where are we going?"

"So impatient, Hermione," Harry smiled at her, squeezing her hand. "You'll see soon enough. I promise you will love it."

Huffing in feigned irritation, Hermione allowed him to lead her into what she soon realized was a park. Looking around, she observed, "This is Hyde Park."

Harry didn't acknowledge her statement, simply raising one eyebrow and continuing to walk purposefully forward. Finally, a large ice rink came into view and his steps slowed slightly. Hermione was thrilled, she loved ice skating. "Thank you for thinking of this! Did I ever tell you how much I love ice skating? I don't think I've mentioned it but this is something that I did with my parents every year at Christmastime."

Harry only smiled and led her to the queue to pay admission. Once they paid, got their skates, and laced them up, they only had to wait ten minutes until it was time for their skate session to begin. Stepping onto the ice, Hermione quickly found her rhythm. Although she was sadly unathletic, this was something that she had always been good at. Flying around the ice, the cold wind on her face, it felt wonderful, she felt free.

Realizing that Harry wasn't next to her, she glanced back and had to stifle a laugh. Harry was far behind, gripping the walls of the rink, desperately trying to stay upright. Skating back to join him she said, "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize that you couldn't skate. Here, take my hand. I'll show you."

Harry gripped her hand firmly and shakily tried to follow her lead. Patiently, she showed him how to move his feet to glide across the ice properly. He caught on quickly but didn't let go of her hand. Instead, they skated slowly around the rink talking, Hermione sharing memories of coming to this very place with her parents and Harry seemingly hanging on every word.

When their session was over and they returned their skates, Hermione turned to Harry and threw herself into his arms, giving him a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek. "You have no idea what this meant to me, thank you. I didn't realize how much I'd missed skating these past years."

Harry grinned down at her, arms still tight around her body, and replied, "You're very welcome. I was a little nervous because I'd never done this before, but I have to admit that I really had a great time. I would love to come with you again sometime. If not this winter, maybe we can come back next year at Christmastime and make it a yearly tradition."

Hermione's stomach gave an involuntary flutter at the talk of plans for next year. Mentally shaking herself for allowing those kinds of thoughts, even momentarily, she reminded herself that this was Harry, her best friend. He didn't think of her that way. This was just a fun activity for them, just like the countless others had been.

Harry finally released her and asked, "Do you have plans for the rest of the day?"

Shaking her head, Hermione responded, "No, why?"

"Well, I was thinking that we could grab some lunch, and then I have one more thing in mind if you're up for it."

"Lunch sounds great, soup would be especially good to warm up. What other activity are you thinking?"

"Soup we can do, the other thing is a surprise. Be patient."

Rolling her eyes, she allowed Harry to lead her through the park to a small café where they warmed up with delicious french onion soup followed by creamy hot chocolate. When they'd both had their fill, Harry paid the bill, refusing Hermione's offer to pay for it since he'd paid for the skating. When the bill was settled, they walked out and Harry led the way into a nearby alley where he once again held out his hand for Hermione. Prepared for the sudden apparition this time, Hermione landed without incident.

The scent hit her first, the overwhelming scent of pine-covered in fresh snow. It was a scent that triggered another memory of her parents. Every year, they had gone together as a family to a tree farm that allowed people to cut down their own trees. Looking around, Hermione realized that she was standing at the edge of that tree farm. The very same one that her family had frequented year after year.

"Harry," she breathed out, the threat of tears pricking her eyes and causing her voice to shake a little as she continued, "how could you possibly know?"

Looking at her with a concerned expression Harry asked, "Know what?"

"Know that this is where I came every year with my parents to get our tree."

Harry smiled kindly at her, meeting her eyes but shrugging his shoulders evasively, "I noticed that you didn't have a tree, so I thought we could get you one and then go back to your place to decorate it. Is that okay? I didn't upset you, did I?"

Noticing the equivocation, but deciding to ignore it, for now, Hermione shook her head, "I'm not upset. It just caught me off guard. Between skating and this, I have so many memories of my parents and it's just making me feel emotional. It's not bad, just a little bittersweet. I miss them so much, but I know that what I did kept them safe and I'm enjoying sharing these things and my memories with you. Thank you, I'm glad you thought of this. Now, come on. I want to show you how to pick out the perfect tree."

Once Hermione found what she deemed the perfect tree, they cut it down the muggle way, Hermione insisting that they couldn't use magic. Then they made their way to the attendant to pay, Hermione refusing to allow Harry to pay this time as it was her tree. Harry tried to argue that it was his idea, but she held firm and paid the attendant herself. Carrying the tree between them, Hermione allowed Harry to covertly cast a featherlight charm after checking to make sure they weren't being watched. Then they made their way to an area safe for apparition. Once secluded, Harry shrunk the tree down and held it in one hand while offering the other to Hermione for side-along.

When they arrived back at her flat, Harry immediately asked where she wanted the tree. They chose the perfect spot and set it up. Then Hermione went off to retrieve the decorations from a storage cupboard. When she returned, Harry was examining the Advent calendar. "Where did this come from? I've never seen it here before, and you didn't have any other decorations out. Why this one?"

Hermione immediately felt disappointed. After today, she'd begun to hope that maybe it had been Harry that sent the calendar. Forcing a smile, she explained what it was and that it had been sent by a secret admirer of sorts.

"So, you don't have any idea who sent it?"

Shaking her head, Hermione replied, "No, I really don't. I didn't tell anyone about any of these things. I can't understand how someone could know. Would I have felt it if someone used Legilimancy on me? I really hope that's not how this person got the information, I would feel extremely violated."

Shaking his head Harry interrupted, "Your mental shields are far too advanced for someone to break into your mind undetected. You would have had to be thinking about something at the precise moment that they used Legilimency on you for you to not notice and even then, you would feel something. No, I don't think that's the case here. I'm curious about this mystery man though. Think you may be willing to give him a shot?"

"I don't know. It would depend on who he is, and how he got this information. It's all very sweet, and I love what I've gotten so far. I just can't help but wonder how on earth someone knows all of those things, those details about my life with my family. It's a little disconcerting."

Harry stepped closer and put an arm around her, drawing her into his side, "Hey, it's going to be okay. I promise that I'll always be here for you and I won't let anything happen to you. If you start to feel uncomfortable, I can even come and sleep on your sofa or you can move into Grimmauld."

"Thanks, Harry. I really appreciate it, but I'm sure that having me as a roommate wouldn't exactly be good for your love life. I'm fine for now. If I start to feel uncomfortable or unsafe, I'll let you know."

Harry was looking at her with a strange expression, eyebrows raised into his fringe, "In case you haven't noticed, my so-called love life is nonexistent. You don't need to worry about that. You are the most important person in my life. You are the person who has stuck by me through it all. Don't ever think that you can't ask me for anything because if it's in my power to make it happen, I will."

Not knowing what to say to that, Hermione simply hugged her friend tightly. He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her in more snugly. Sighing, Hermione realized how right this felt, how at home she felt in his arms. She wished he felt the same way about her. It would make everything so much easier.

Pulling away, Hermione asked, "Ready to decorate my tree?"

At Harry's answering nod, Hermione grabbed the box of decorations. As they hung the lights, tinsel, and ornaments, Hermione told Harry stories about each ornament. When she'd gone to her childhood home after the war, she found that it had been ransacked and most of the contents were destroyed in what she assumed had been the death eater's search for any information on her whereabouts. There hadn't been much to salvage but Hermione found a box of special ornaments tucked into a corner of the attic that had thankfully remained intact. These ornaments were very special to her, not only for the memories but because they were quite literally some of the few possessions from that life that she still had.

As Hermione spoke about past Christmases with her parents, she realized that she had been speaking continuously while Harry remained silent. Turning to apologize, she saw him watching her intently, an unreadable expression on his face. Suddenly a thought occurred to her, "Oh, I'm so sorry, here I am going on and on about what I've lost and the memories that I have with my family and you didn't get to experience any of that with your parents. I'm being incredibly selfish, I'm really sorry."

Shaking his head, he pulled her into a hug, and spoke into her hair, "No, you aren't being selfish. I promise I enjoy hearing all about what you did with your parents. Of course, I wish that I'd had mine around but honestly, I love listening to your stories. I didn't have that growing up but I hope to one day have a family of my own to do those things with and I like to hear about the traditions of other families so I can file the information away to use later."

Hearing Harry speak about the family that he hoped to have one day created confusing emotions in Hermione. She, of course, wanted him to be happy, but selfishly, she didn't want him to find that happiness with some random woman. Fleetingly, she wondered if they would be able to maintain their friendship as it was once he was in a relationship. Forcing herself to stop thinking that way before she became dispirited, she smiled up at Harry and suggested that they should get back to the tree.

When the tree was decorated and the room put to rights, Hermione asked Harry if he wanted to stay for dinner. At his answering nod, she got out a stack of take-away menus and told him to pick something. When he immediately chose pizza without looking at any of the other options, she laughed, rolling her eyes at his predictability, and told him that pizza sounded fabulous to her.

After dinner, which they lingered over, talking more about things that Hermione did with her parents growing up, and more about what Harry experienced at the Dursleys, Harry finally left when it was nearly midnight. It had been nice to spend the day with him. She'd been planning to be alone all day, but he had shown up and made it so much nicer.

Tired, but restless. She drew a bubble bath and poured a glass of wine, hoping to relax before bed. Sinking into the luxurious foam, she allowed her mind to wander a bit. Drifting back until she was alone in the tent with Harry again after Ron left them. It was then that the comforting touch of a friend had turned into much more and when they made love, it had been a first for both of them. Over the following weeks until Ron's eventual return they had been together in every sense of the word. Hermione had fallen deeply in love with her best friend and though they hadn't spoken the words aloud, she'd thought that he shared her feelings.

When Ron came back, Harry had retreated, backed off completely and she hadn't had the opportunity to speak to him alone or ask him how he was feeling, what he was thinking. Confused, she began to believe that it must not have meant the same thing to him as it did to her. Then, in the aftermath of the final battle, sitting down to a meal with the grieving Weasley family, Ron had taken her hand and announced to his family that they were together now. Seeing the joy on Mrs. Weasley's face, she hadn't had the heart to tell them that it wasn't true.

After that announcement, Harry had clapped Ron on the back and told him how happy he was for the two of them. Assuming that he simply wasn't interested in her that way, Hermione didn't attempt a private conversation with him. Instead, she quietly informed Ron that she was sorry for any confusion but she couldn't be in a relationship with him. She felt only friendship and knew that they could never be compatible romantically.

After that conversation, she had fled the Burrow, leaving England completely to search for her parents. Harry and Ron had both tried to go with her but she insisted that this was something that she needed to do by herself.

Traveling to Australia, alone and grieving for those they had lost and saddened that Harry didn't return her feelings, Hermione eventually found her parents. When every attempt to restore their memories failed, she returned to England, deciding that she would go back to Hogwarts to finally take her seventh year and sit her N.E.W.T.s.

Upon her return, she was surprised to find that Harry and Ginny hadn't resumed their relationship. In her devastation over the failure to restore her parents' memories, she never thought to question Harry, instead, she quietly returned to Hogwarts with Ginny while Harry and Ron joined the Aurors.

Hermione became aware that her water had grown cold. Sighing deeply, she drained the water and stepped from the tub. It was then she had the sudden realization that Harry hadn't just failed to get back with Ginny, he hadn't really dated at all. When he needed a date for a ministry function, she typically accompanied him. He spoke tonight about wanting a family but didn't seem to be making any attempts to make that happen. She knew that she wanted more than anything to create that family with him because even now, seven years after that time they spent together as lovers, she was madly in love with him.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Waking the next morning, still tired after a fitful night, mind reeling from the realization that she was still very much in love with Harry, Hermione felt less enthusiastic about the Advent calendar. She was, of course, excited to see what would be inside today, but realizing how she felt about Harry, she knew that she could never feel the same for whoever this man was that sent the lovely gifts. Sighing, she opened the drawer for day five and drew out a small candle. Sniffing it, she was immediately back at the tree farm they visited yesterday and somehow also back in her mum's kitchen. The candle smelled like snow-covered pines and biscuits, fresh from the oven. To her, it smelled like Christmas. Looking at the label, she smiled, the scent was aptly named 'Christmastime.'

The accompanying note read...

_The famous muggle, Helen Keller said, "Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years that you have lived." _

_I fervently hope that you enjoy the memories that this will bring._

xXx

Hermione spent the rest of the day, as she did most Sundays, at the Burrow for the family's weekly gathering. She and Harry were still considered family and expected to attend even though neither of them ended up romantically attached to any of the Weasley siblings, much to the dismay of Mrs. Weasley. The day had been relaxing and fun. The Weasleys were still a loud and boisterous bunch and a day at the Burrow always helped to clear her mind no matter what was going on in her life. Of course, the fact that Harry was there as well hadn't hurt.

On the seventh morning of December, Hermione pulled a bouquet of everlasting roses from the calendar. There were red, yellow, white, two shades of pink, and orange. The note read...

_Hermione, _

_These are everlasting roses. Their meanings symbolize my feelings for you and our relationship. _

_White is for purity... What I feel for you is pure and true. Yellow is for friendship... I value your friendship more than anything. Light pink is for admiration... I admire you, I always have. Dark Pink is for appreciation and gratitude... You will never know how much I have appreciated your support. I am eternally grateful for everything that you've done for me. Orange is for fascination and desire. Finally, red is for love... I'm in love with you. I have been for years now. _

_These roses tell the story of my feelings for you and the everlasting nature of these particular roses is my promise to you. What I feel for you won't ever change. It may grow and evolve but the nature of my feelings will remain the same. _

_I hope that I haven't scared you. I only want you to give me a chance once you know who I am. If you don't feel the same way as me, I only ask that you will agree to maintain the level of friendship that we have currently. I don't know what I would do if I lost you completely. _

After reading the note, Hermione fell back against the cushions of her sofa. Her mind was racing, she felt as if she couldn't breathe, and she suddenly felt as if her sitting room was closing in on her. Realizing that she was on the verge of a panic attack, she forced herself to calm down by doing some deep breathing exercises. When the physical symptoms of her panic diminished, she was able to focus on the mental part. She was more confused than ever. There was only one person she wanted this to be from and he denied knowledge of the gift. Had he come out and said that it wasn't from him? She couldn't remember. Was it possible? Could he return her feelings after all these years? No, she couldn't allow herself to hope for that possibility. She couldn't take another heartbreaking disappointment this year. Forcing herself to block out those feelings that frightened her, she decided that she would remain logical and not imagine possibilities that were likely untrue. The risk was far too great.

xXx

The next few days passed without incident. On Tuesday, she received lovely ruby earrings. Wednesday was a charm bracelet with a single, ruby charm. Thursday was her favorite scented bubble bath and Friday was an i-pod already filled with Christmas music.

Until Friday, there hadn't been another note. It was as if the sender knew her well enough to know that the note that had accompanied the roses would leave her in a state that required some space from those thoughts.

The note accompanying the i-pod said...

_Hermione, _

_I'm sure that you know, but this is called an i-pod. It's a muggle music device. I've taken the liberty of adding Christmas music to it for you. It's also charmed to allow you to add any other song that you may want. All you have to do is tap it once with your wand and clearly tell it the name of the song that you would like added. I've already arranged for payment for any song that you could possibly want so you won't be cheating anyone out of money by doing it this way. Also, it will never require charging as it's been altered and is now more magical than muggle. I hope you enjoy!_

Finally, it was Saturday again. Hermione planned to spend the day enjoying the music on her i-pod and a relaxing bubble bath. Then she realized that she should probably get some Christmas shopping done. Now that she was actually enjoying the Christmas season, thanks to the beautiful calendar, she really should think about purchasing gifts for everyone she loved. She opened the calendar gift for the day and found a lovely scarlet colored scarf and glove set. The note simply explained that the scarf and gloves were charmed to keep her perfectly warm regardless of how cold it was outside.

After eating a simple breakfast and dressing quickly, Hermione apparated into muggle London near a shopping mall where she could find gifts for everyone on her list. She liked to buy her wizarding friends muggle gifts because she was certain to find things that they wouldn't already have. By lunchtime, she'd found something for everyone on her list except for Harry. She stopped at a small café and thought about what to get him while enjoying a sandwich. Thinking about why she hadn't found something for Harry, she realized the problem was that she wanted his gift to be perfect, thoughtful and meaningful. She wanted something that would show him what he meant to her. Realizing that she would need to think about it more before she could find something perfect, Hermione decided to do something a little out of character and went shopping for herself. Rationalizing that she needed a few nice, new outfits to wear for the holidays. She wanted to look pretty when she learned who had sent her the gifts. Though she wouldn't admit it, even to herself, she still hoped that her mystery guy was Harry and therefore, she chose outfits that she knew he would like on her.

When she finally finished up her purchase and apparated home, it was already getting dark. As soon as she entered her flat and placed the packages next to the table to wrap, her floo roared to life and Harry stepped through. "Harry! What are you doing here?"

Smiling, he stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek before drawing her into a hug and cheekily saying, "Well, it's nice to see you too, Hermione. I'm happy to know that I'm welcome here."

Lightly smacking his shoulder Hermione replied, "You prat, you know you are always welcome! I just didn't expect you, that's all."

"I came by earlier but you weren't home. I see what you've been up to though. Got your Christmas shopping finished?"

"Nearly, I just have a few more things to get."

"Did you have plans tonight?" he asked. Hermione wasn't sure, but she thought there was a hopeful gleam in his eye when he asked this casually.

"No, no plans. I was thinking about going ahead and wrapping the gifts, but if you have something in mind..." She trailed off and looked at him questioningly.

"Yes! How soon can you be ready?"

"Well, that depends, what are we doing? How do I need to be dressed?"

"Casual but warm will do just fine," he answered.

"Okay then, I can be ready in fifteen minutes. You didn't answer my question about what we are going to do."

"It's a surprise. Just go get changed."

Raising her eyebrows, she picked up the packages and headed into her bedroom to change clothes.

She was already wearing jeans so she left those on and exchanged her blouse for a warm jumper before taking off her flats and putting on boots. Finally, she put on her coat and added a hat along with the scarf and gloves that she received that morning.

"Ready to go?" asked Harry as she returned.

Nodding, she smiled at him before holding out her hand. Ready this time for the apparition she knew was coming.

They landed in a copse of trees on the outskirts of a small village. Hermione was unsure about what they were planning to do here but she went along knowing that she could trust that Harry wouldn't make her do anything that she would hate.

Walking along, still hand in hand, they soon came to the town center which had been decorated beautifully for the holidays. Looking around, Hermione saw that there was a large group of people beginning to assemble to one side of the square and that was precisely where Harry was steering them. Then, she saw the sign. It read, 'Caroling on the Square Saturday, 11 December, 7:00 p.m.'

"I love caroling! How did you know?"

He only smiled and murmured, "I have my ways, I am the chosen one, you know."

Poking him in the side she told him, "I should be annoyed with your cheeky remarks, but I'm far too happy with what you've planned. Thank you."

Joining the group, they accepted a small songbook that was offered by one of the organizers. Apologizing, the woman explained that their turnout was larger than expected and asked if they could share one book between them.

Assuring her that it was no problem, they took the book and waited until the music began. For the next hour, they sang with the group. Singing carol after carol. Hermione smiled until her cheeks ached. She had always loved caroling with her family. They had gone each year with a group from their church. Of course, they went home to home instead of staying stationary but this was just as nice.

After the singing was over, they joined the queue to get hot chocolate from the vendor that was set up to the side of the square. Sipping their hot drinks, they walked through the streets of the picturesque town until it grew late. Finally, they were both exhausted so they apparated back to Hermione's flat. Harry left quickly as they both needed their sleep for an early start the following day. Harry was planning to go to the Burrow and Hermione needed to work on a special project that needed to be completed before she could take leave for the Christmas holidays. Since it was taking longer than planned, she had arranged to go into work for a while on Sunday to get some uninterrupted work done.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Hermione awoke on Sunday and immediately went to check her Advent calendar. Opening the small drawer, she found another charm for the bracelet that she'd been gifted earlier in the week. This time it was a sapphire, her birthstone. Since there wasn't a note, her imagination went wild. If this one was her birthstone, was the ruby the sender's birthstone? Or was it possible that the ruby was just a representation of Gryffindor house, and the sapphire her birthstone? But, if the ruby represented Gryffindor, could the sapphire represent Ravenclaw? Could the person who sent this be a Ravenclaw? The possibilities made her mind spin.

Monday morning, Hermione woke late. She'd stayed far longer than expected at the ministry the day before. Working without constant interruptions had turned out to be much more productive than she'd thought and she ended up finishing the report. Now, she didn't have anything major to do until after New Year's Day. There were always minor things that came up, but nothing pressing. She decided to take her time that morning and go in a little late as a reward for her hard work the day before. Sending a quick owl off to her boss, she slowly got ready, deciding that she would treat herself to a coffee and pastry at The Roost before she headed into the Ministry. The Roost! She'd forgotten to check the calendar that day.

Opening the drawer, she pulled out a copy of _The Secret Garden _by Frances Hodges Brunette. It had been her favorite book growing up. There was something magical about that book. Looking down, she felt her eyes well with tears, remembering the copy of the book that had been in thousands of pieces upon the floor of her childhood bedroom when she visited her old home, trying to salvage what she could. That book, above the others, had been a terrible loss. Not only was it her favorite, but it had also been a gift from her grandmother before her passing and her beloved Nan had inscribed the front page with a short note to her only granddaughter.

Opening the book, she gasped and the hot tears began to roll freely down her cheeks. This wasn't just any copy of _The Secret Garden_, this was her copy. There was the note from her grandmother, the familiar handwriting and faded ink a testament to the authenticity. This wasn't a copy, somehow the book had been repaired and gifted back to her. How? It had been destroyed well beyond repair. Even with magic, it would have been a tedious and difficult task, though not impossible.

Her heart swelled, whoever was behind this was being honest when he said that he knew her well and loved her. That was evident in the time and care he had put into making this the best Christmas she'd ever had. She only hoped that when his identity was revealed that she wasn't disappointed.

Placing the book into the beaded bag that she still carried, she put on her coat and apparated to Diagon Alley. On her way to The Roost, she saw a shop she'd never noticed before. The marquee announced that they made photographs from memories. This was perfect! Now she knew exactly what to get Harry for Christmas. She just needed to make it happen.

After spending a lovely hour sipping coffee and nibbling one of the spectacular cinnamon buns while reading her beloved book, Hermione reluctantly left for the Ministry. When she arrived, Harry was waiting in her office.

"Hermione, decided to come in late today?"

Smiling, she said, "Well, given the fact that I worked for nearly twelve hours yesterday, I thought I deserved a bit of a break today. I visited that coffee shop in Diagon Alley, The Roost and had a relaxing morning reading a childhood favorite book while drinking a lovely coffee and enjoying a delicious cinnamon bun."

Remembering the thing she needed to ask Harry she said, "Can I ask a favor please, can I have your memories from the day that we went ice skating and got my tree?"

Harry looked at her strangely, "My memories? What do you need those for?"

"Please, don't ask questions. It's a surprise. Nothing bad, I promise."

Nodding, he said, "There aren't many people that I would just hand over memories to, no questions asked. You're lucky that..." He trailed off, suddenly turning red.

"I'm lucky that, what, Harry?" she prompted.

Sighing audibly, Harry finished, "Lucky that you're you and that you're one of the only people I trust fully."

Suspecting that wasn't what he started to say, she wanted to question him further but let it drop. Conjuring a little bottle, she passed it to him and watched as he withdrew the silvery threads and deposited them into the bottle before handing it to her.

Smiling, she said, "Thanks! Wait, you were waiting here for me. What did you need?"

"I was just stopping by to see if you wanted to get some lunch but seeing as it's already ten o'clock and you're just getting here..."

"Haha, very funny. I would love to grab some lunch. Can you wait until around one or will that be too late?"

"Nah, not too late, one works for me. I'll see you then."

That night, Hermione thought back to Harry's momentary slip of the tongue. What was he going to say? When he'd returned to her office to take her to lunch he was once again acting normal and natural. They'd had a great time at lunch as they always did when they were together. Hermione wondered why Harry was suddenly spending so much more time with her than usual. Thinking back over the past year, she realized that the frequency of activities hadn't really increased over the last few weeks, she'd just been paying more attention since she'd received the Advent calendar. That calendar had already served its purpose. It had brought her out of the depression that she'd slipped into and helped her find joy once again.

The next morning, Hermione rushed to open the little drawer. Inside was a sprig of mistletoe. She wasn't sure if it was regular, muggle mistletoe or if it was the charmed kind that would trap someone until they were kissed. Not seeing a note to explain, she hoped that it was the regular kind because she didn't fancy being stuck, frozen in place until someone came to save her. Hanging it up by the fireplace in a spot that she wasn't likely to pass accidentally, she left for work and completely forgot about it.

Over the next few days, Hermione didn't see Harry much. She also didn't receive notes with her gifts for those days, but honestly, none of it needed an explanation. On the fifteenth of December, it was a bottle of her mum's favorite perfume, Chanel no. 5. She supposed that could have been a lucky guess as it was a very popular perfume, but her gut told her that it was no coincidence. She still hadn't been able to work out how they had gotten all of these details, and she was certainly planning to ask when she learned the identity of the mystery man.

On the sixteenth of December, she was delighted to find an assortment of biscuits that the Hogwarts Elves baked for the holidays each year. The ones that were included happened to be her favorites.

The next day was Friday, the seventeenth, and she received a large assortment of fancy Christmas themed biscuit cutters.

Finally, it was Saturday again and she woke wondering if she would see Harry again. He'd begun to habitually pop in on Saturdays. Remembering that she wanted to take those memories to the shop in Diagon Alley, she dressed quickly in one of her new outfits, one that was casual and comfortable but made her feel pretty, before apparating to the Alley and heading into the photo shop. She'd decided to stop there first and then head next door to The Roost for coffee and cinnamon buns. Once she finished up in the photo shop, letting them know exactly what she wanted and providing them with the appropriate memories, she walked next door to get her breakfast. While there, she decided to get enough to share and surprise Harry this time.

Apparating to Grimmauld Place, she had to knock on the door. She could have gone to her flat first and used the floo but it was easier to only have to travel once while holding the coffee. Harry answered the door after a minute looking disheveled and still wearing his pajamas.

"Oh, I hope I didn't wake you!" she exclaimed.

"No, you didn't. I just woke up and was heading down for some tea when I heard you knock. Why didn't you come through the floo?"

"I was in Diagon Alley. I picked up breakfast. How do you feel about coffee instead of tea?" she asked, holding out one of the paper cups."

"That sounds phenomenal, thanks," said Harry, reaching for the cup and sipping the hot liquid. "This is amazing. What is it?"

"It's a peppermint latte. It sounded festive and delicious. Wait until you taste the cinnamon buns. They are the best I've ever eaten."

Harry's eyes grew round. "Cinnamon buns, why are you still standing outside when you have cinnamon buns? Get in here!" Laughing, he pulled Hermione through the door, closing it behind her before kissing her cheek in greeting.

Joining him in laughter, Hermione followed him through to the kitchen, making herself at home at the table. Harry had done extensive renovations to Grimmauld before moving there permanently. It didn't resemble The House of Black in any way. Now, it was bright, airy and clean. Though it was vastly improved, Hermione got the feeling that Harry still didn't think of it as home.

As they ate the delicious buns, they discussed plans for the day. When Hermione asked if Harry had plans, he looked a little sheepish and admitted, "I was actually planning to head over to your flat once I got dressed. I have a favor to ask."

"What kind of favor?"

"Well, I kindoflostabet," said Harry quickly.

"What was that?"

"I lost a bet, and I'm supposed to bring in homemade Christmas biscuits for the entire department."

Bursting into laughter, Hermione asked, "What kind of bet?"

"It was silly, really," said Harry, turning a bit red.

"I'm not going to help you unless you tell me what the bet was about."

"Okay, okay. I bet that Krum wouldn't catch the snitch in the Bulgarian team's last game which was against the English team. The other guys, who are all England fans said that I was crazy and even though Krum is getting old for a quidditch player that he's still the best seeker around. I refused to listen and, of course, he caught the snitch, winning the game for Bulgaria. So, now..."

"You've seen Victor play, why would you make that bet?" she asked, noticing Harry's eyes narrowing slightly when she mentioned Victor's name. She fleetingly wondered what that was about.

"Well, will you help me?" asked Harry impatiently?

Hermione laughed, "Of course I will. We will need to pop into a supermarket for the ingredients, but I happen to have a brand new tin of Christmas biscuit cutters that we can use."

After Harry dressed for the day, they made a quick stop at a nearby muggle supermarket for ingredients before apparating to Hermione's flat to make the biscuits. Hermione decided that she wanted to make enough that she could take some to her department and some extras to bring to the Weasley's that Sunday and a few to keep at her flat for visitors.

Shedding their coats, they quickly got to work measuring, mixing, rolling out the dough, cutting it into shapes and then getting it into the oven to bake. As each batch baked, they made more. Several hours later, the last batch was out of the oven and they got to work decorating the cooled biscuits. Finally, they had them all frosted and put into tins for easy transport. After cleaning Hermione's kitchen, they collapsed in exhaustion on the sofa.

After a moment, Hermione remembered that she hadn't opened that day's gift. Rising from the sofa, she opened the little drawer and pulled out a small package that magically enlarged in her hand. When she realized what she was holding, she sighed happily. Looking over at Harry, she saw that he was watching her with an unreadable expression.

Returning to the sofa, she showed him what she was holding. "These are my favorite Christmas movies. _Miracle on 34th Street, Prancer,_ and _Home Alone_. I watched all of these with my parents every year for as long as I can remember." Checking the time, she looked back at him and continued, "It's nearly five already. Would you like to go home, get a change of clothes for tomorrow, and your pajamas? When you come back, we can get some take-away and then after we eat, we can set up the DVD player in my bedroom and watch movies until we fall asleep."

Watching closely, she tried to see if what she was proposing was okay with him. Sure, they had shared a bed before but it had been many years ago, under much different circumstances and their relationship had changed greatly since then. As she watched his face, she noticed that he seemed to be scrutinizing her as well. What was he thinking? Was he okay with this? Had she crossed a line?

Finally, just as she was beginning to really panic, he grinned and said, "That sounds wonderful. I would love that. I'll just pop over to Grimmauld. I'll be back in five minutes. Why don't you go ahead and order the food, you know what I like."

Before she could respond, he was gone. Taking a few deep breaths to calm herself, she grabbed the stack of menus that she kept in the kitchen and flipped through them. Deciding that she was in the mood for simple pub fare she ordered two orders of fish and chips and Harry's favored treacle tart for dessert.

That done, Hermione went into her bedroom to set up her DVD player and arrange pillows on the floor at the foot of the bed. Even though she didn't have a spare bedroom and she fully intended for them to share the bed at some point, she didn't want to seem too forward. Having the pillows on the floor with the clear intent that they start out sitting there felt less intimate somehow. Stepping back she surveyed what she'd done and heard her floo come to life in the sitting room. Quickly making one last adjustment, she was confused to hear Harry call from the next room, "Um, Hermione, can you possibly come in here and give me a little help?"

Confused at what he could possibly need help with, she exited her bedroom only to freeze at the sight that greeted her. Harry was stuck, unable to move from the spot under the mistletoe that she'd hung next to the fireplace earlier in the week. Clearly, it was the enchanted variety but must only work if more than one person was in the vicinity.

Her heart was beating with such vigor that she was certain Harry could hear it from where he stood. Meeting his eyes, she slowly walked forward, silently coaching herself. Telling herself that this would be okay. He was in a predicament and needed her assistance otherwise, he would be stuck there until she worked up the courage. Closing the distance between them, never breaking eye contact she rose up on her toes and brushed her lips against his and was immediately lost. This... this was everything. Everything she remembered and so much more. She felt Harry's arms wrap around her and when she sighed against his mouth he deepened the kiss, pulling her in close to his body and sweeping his tongue across hers. Her hand instinctively went to his hair, pulling him closer. Everything outside of the two of them was blocked out. A rushing noise filled her ears, somewhere in the distance she heard a moan and wondered if that was her. Here in this moment, kissing Harry, everything was right. This is where she belonged.

All too soon, she was jolted back to reality by a loud knock sounding from her front door. Stepping back from Harry, wide-eyed, looking like a child caught doing something naughty, she risked a glance at his face and what she saw there made her stomach flip. He was gazing at her, his face alight with every emotion that she felt. Did she dare hope? Starting to step forward again, without considering what she was doing, she was brought back to her senses by another knock on her door followed by a shouted, "delivery!"

"I...I... I should get that," she stammered out before turning and practically running to the front door. Once there, she pulled open the door and apologized to the man before paying him and adding in a generous tip. When he was gone, she looked back to see that Harry had moved away from the mistletoe and was wordlessly taking the bags from her hands and bringing them into the kitchen where he placed them on her table before taking glasses down from her cupboard and pouring them both glasses of pumpkin juice.

When they'd both sat. Harry reached across the table and grabbed her hand. Squeezing it gently then rubbing circles on her palm with his thumb, he said, "Hermione, I know you. I can practically hear you thinking from over here. Please, please don't talk yourself into a panic. I enjoyed that very much. I don't regret anything. Don't let this cause awkwardness. If you are worried about something, please tell me. I promise to be completely honest with you."

Squeezing his hand gratefully, she nodded, "Thank you, Harry. You do know me, better than anyone else. I admit that I was working myself into a panic. I enjoyed that too. I just don't ever want to lose you."

Harry looked her square in the eye and said, "You have nothing to be afraid of. I can promise you that you will never lose me. There's nothing you can do that would make me want you out of my life. Now, let's eat. I'm starving. We only had buns for breakfast and other than sampling a few of those biscuits, we missed lunch."

Hermione was feeling a bit better but she still felt uneasy. Knowing that the kiss hadn't ruined their friendship was great but she still didn't know if Harry felt more than friendship or not. She didn't feel comfortable pushing for those answers when she still felt so off-balance. That kiss had awakened feelings in her that she'd repressed as much as she could these past seven years. Now that they had resurfaced, she wasn't sure that she could go back to ignoring them.

After they'd eaten their fill, they agreed to get ready for bed before starting the movie. Hermione decided to take a quick shower before changing into her pajamas. She wanted to make sure that she felt and smelled her best even if they were just platonically sharing the bed. She wanted to make sure that she at least made herself as appealing as possible. Stepping from the shower, she dried off, then applied scented lotion to her body before using a spell to dry her hair and finally pulling on a pair of cozy flannel pajama pants with a camisole top. Exiting the bathroom, she smiled at Harry who was lounging on her bed and told him that the bathroom was free.

She heard the shower come on and decided to get the movie set up while Harry was showering. By the time she was done, she heard the shower shut off. Grabbing a throw blanket and the remote, she made herself comfortable on the floor at the foot of the bed. When Harry came in five minutes later, she patted the spot next to her, inviting him to sit.

When he joined her, she pressed play on the movie and sat back, leaning against her bed as the beginning scenes of _Home Alone _filled the screen. She had purposefully chosen the most lighthearted of the three to watch first, wanting to keep the mood light. Soon, they were both laughing and although they avoided touching each other, the awkwardness from earlier was gone.

Eventually, they grew sleepy and crawled up into Hermione's bed. Hermione switched out the movies, putting in _Miracle on 34th Street._ She didn't make it through much of the movie, falling asleep quickly, lulled by the pleasure of simply having Harry next to her.

Waking the next morning, Hermione was confused for a moment. She was extremely warm and cozy, but she also was quickly aware that what she was laying on wasn't her pillow. It was much firmer than her pillow. Moving her head slightly, she realized that she was completely curled around Harry. Her head was pillowed on his chest and one leg was thrown across his lower body. Wincing, she tried to slowly untangle herself, not wanting to wake him.

Covertly glancing up to see if he was still sleeping soundly, she immediately saw that he wasn't. Her eyes were met by a pair of amused green ones. Clearly, he was enjoying her predicament, "Good morning. Did you sleep well," he asked, smirking.

Deciding that as long as she wasn't making him uncomfortable she would stay right where she was and bask in the contentment she felt by being snuggled into him, she replied, "I did, thank you. How about you?"

"Seriously, this was the best night of sleep that I've had in years. You're a fantastic cuddler."

This statement caused such turmoil in Hermione. She wasn't sure if he was taking the mickey in an attempt to lighten the mood or if it was his way of saying that he enjoyed cuddling with her. She had never been good at knowing how to respond in situations like this. Deciding to take a chance, she wasn't a Gryffindor for nothing, she simply said, "Well, you are extremely comfortable," as she wiggled a bit, enjoying the pleasure she felt being this close to him.

She let out a relieved breath when Harry burst into laughter and pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her and squeezing. Sighing, he said, "As much as I would love to stay here like this all day, we are expected at the Burrow in a little while. We should probably get up and get ourselves ready before they send someone to find us."

Hermione nodded and made to move away but Harry held on, "Hermione, wait. Do you think…" Harry trailed off and Hermione watched as he shifted nervously then swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down. "Erm, that is… Could we maybe do this again sometime soon? I wasn't lying when I said that this was the best night of sleep that I've had in a very long time."

Gaping at him, unable to find the words, she struggled to wrap her brain around what he'd just said. She was silent so long that he must have begun to feel uncomfortable because his face fell and he started to backpedal, "If you don't want to, that's okay. I just thought..."

"Of course we can do this again. Anytime you like, actually. I really enjoyed it as well. I know that we both have plans to go to the Weasleys' on Christmas but do you have plans for Christmas Eve?"

"I don't have plans for Christmas Eve. What did you have in mind?"

"Well, my last day of work is the twenty-third. I was planning to just work a partial day, I don't have much to do at work now that I've finished that project. Would you like to come over that evening and then stay until we go to the Burrow on Christmas?"

When Harry stared at her without speaking, it was her turn to feel like she'd overstepped, without making eye contact, she said quietly, "If that's too much, we could do something else."

"Hermione, I would love that. I just wasn't expecting an invitation for Christmas. What about your mystery guy? Don't you want to find out who sent you all of that?"

Chewing on her bottom lip nervously, Hermione contemplated her answer. Yes, of course, she wanted to know who the sender of the thoughtful gifts would turn out to be. However, regardless of their identity, if there was even a tiny chance that she and Harry could end up working things out romantically, she would choose him without a second thought.

Looking into his eyes she said, "Harry, I want to spend that time with you. Of course, I want to know who sent me that lovely Advent calendar, if only to find out how they discovered all of that information about me. However, I see no reason whatsoever that you shouldn't be here as well."

There was so much more she wanted to say but didn't know how. Harry seemed to accept her answer because he placed a kiss on her forehead before saying, "I'll be here after work on the twenty-third then and we will spend Christmas together."

After dressing and having a bit of tea, Harry and Hermione apparated to the Burrow. Spending time with the Weasleys was always wonderful. Now that they were all married, except for Ginny who was dating Blaise Zabini, and Charlie who was nearly always in Romania anyway, these Sunday meals were larger than ever.

After lunch, Hermione found herself in the sitting room with Harry, Blaise, and Ginny. Ginny pointed to Hermione's charm bracelet and earrings, "That's beautiful," she said, touching the bracelet, "is it new? I've never seen it before."

Before Hermione could answer, Harry, announced, "Hermione's got a secret admirer."

Shooting a withering glare at Harry, she turned back to explain the Advent calendar and the mystery guy to Ginny. She ended by saying that what she couldn't figure out was if the charms meant something other than simply being the color of her school house and her birthstone.

Ginny looked thoughtful and asked, "Have you written everything out and looked at it all at once to see if there were other clues that you may have overlooked?"

Hermione stared at her, dumbfounded. How had she managed to not think of something so simple? She had been far too distracted by Harry to think about something as easy as a list.

Distracted by her own thoughts she missed the glare that Harry shot at Ginny and the smug smirk that she sent him in return. If she'd seen that, she may have added the interesting exchange to her list.

Shortly after this conversation, Hermione became so caught up in the thoughts of going home and attempting to figure out what she may know about the person who had sent her the calendar that she decided to go ahead and leave. When she told Harry, he rolled his eyes but hugged her tightly and whispered, "Don't get too caught up. Does it really matter to you who sent it? You insinuated that it didn't this morning."

Returning the hug, she whispered back, "It still doesn't, not in the way you're thinking, at least. But, you know me. I have to know things. It eats at me when I don't know something."

Chuckling, Harry released her then kissed her on the cheek, telling her that he would see her soon. When he stepped away, she stood frozen for a moment, had it been her imagination or had he lingered a bit longer than he should have when kissing her cheek?

After saying goodbye to everyone else, Hermione went home to her flat where she got out a muggle notebook and pen and sat down to write out what she knew. Looking at the calendar, she realized that while distracted by her morning with Harry, she'd forgotten to open today's gift.

Inside the drawer was a shrunken bottle. When it was full-sized again, she realized that it was champagne. The exact champagne that was the very first she'd ever been allowed to taste. It was while she was on holiday with her parents in France and she'd begged to be allowed just a sip. Sighing, she remembered the first taste of the cold liquid, fizzy sweetness exploding on her tongue with a sharp bite that she simultaneously loved and hated when she'd sipped from her mum's glass. Looking at the bottle in her hand, she decided that even if this was a gift from another man, she would share this champagne with Harry when they were together on Christmas Eve. Knowing that she wanted to make the evening special in case it was the only time that she got to spend Christmas alone with him. She had plans to make. First, she would think about the Advent calendar, then plans with Harry.

Sitting down, she began to list out what she knew. She wrote out each gift that she'd been given in the order that they were received. Seeing on the list the biscuits from the Hogwarts elves followed by biscuit cutters she thought about why that was standing out to her, then she realized that the very next day Harry had conveniently asked her to bake Christmas biscuits with him.

Looking back up the list, she thought about what they had done the other weekends. She had received the i-pod loaded with Christmas music, then the warm scarf and gloves right before Harry brought her caroling. That fit as well. The coloring book and quill before ice skating didn't seem to fit as easily but thinking about it, coloring and ice skating were favorites of hers as a child and the note with the coloring book had said to be a kid again. Then again, the candle she received the day after that outing had reminded her of the Christmas tree farm.

Could all of this be from Harry? Was it possible? If she was honest with herself, he was the only person that she knew who would have the resources in both the muggle and magical worlds to be able to investigate and find all of the answers, but even he couldn't have known all of this.

Studying the list critically, she reviewed each item and asked herself how it could be tied to Harry. Other than the things she'd already considered, the message with the roses could definitely be attributed to him, especially the parts regarding lasting friendship. The rubies were his birthstone as well as the color representing Gryffindor. The scarf and gloves were scarlet and therefore Gryffindor as well.

Then, she realized that Harry had openly done things for her that she'd never shared with anyone. Even if he wasn't the person who sent the calendar, she did need him to explain how he knew about ice skating in Hyde Park, that specific Christmas tree farm, and caroling. It couldn't all be coincidental, could it?

Reading over the list, she realized that there was very little that couldn't be tied directly to Harry and those items were things that were specific to her childhood and wouldn't be tied to the sender, regardless of his identity. Was she reaching? Did she want it to be Harry so badly that she was seeing something that wasn't there? Sighing, she put the list away. Instead of finding answers, she was more conflicted than ever.

Deciding that instead of focusing on the identity of the mystery guy, she would focus on making things amazing for the time that she and Harry would be spending together. Turning to a fresh page, she began a different kind of list, one detailed what she needed to do to get ready for having Harry as a house guest later in the week and she wanted to make sure that everything was perfect.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next morning, Hermione awoke, full of energy. Deciding that she would only work half days until after the holidays were over, as her big project was done, she took her time getting ready and decided that when she left after lunch she would head to Diagon Alley and pick up Harry's present which should be ready by now.

Once she'd picked up Harry's gift, she returned to her flat where she removed the brown paper wrapping from the shop, intending to make sure that it was what she wanted before wrapping it immediately to stow under the Christmas tree. Given his habit of showing up unannounced, it wouldn't do to have his gift just laying around unwrapped.

Removing the wrapping, she drew out the leather-bound book, turning to the first page, she froze in shock. She'd had a photo album made using both hers and Harry's memories from the day that they'd gone ice skating and to the tree farm. The first photo had her heart dropping into her stomach in panic. The look on her face as she gazed at Harry was very obviously filled with love and adoration. What if he didn't return her feelings? This gift would be highly inappropriate then.

In a blind panic, she wrapped the album quickly, stowing it in the back of her closet then apparated back to Diagon Alley to find another, safer gift… just in case. Quickly going into the Quidditch shop, she purchased a just-released, top of the line broomstick to give to Harry. Returning to her flat, she wrapped it and placed it under the tree. Her impulse purchase was more than she typically would spend on a gift for anyone but it was special, and more importantly, it was safe if Harry didn't share her feelings.

That task off her list, she headed into work where she only half-heartedly worked at a minor project that wasn't due until after the first of the year. She was distracted by thoughts of what she would make for dinner on Christmas Eve. Knowing that Mrs. Weasley would serve a full spread of traditional Christmas dishes, she wanted something that would be delicious but wouldn't be exactly what would be served at the Burrow the following day because although she was a competent cook, she was no Molly Weasley. Deciding to make roast chicken with some simple sides and a delicious dessert, she returned her focus to her work until she finally became so distracted that she gave up and left for the day.

Once at home, she began a shopping list. Now that she'd decided what to make, she could plan what she needed to purchase at the supermarket. Realizing that she would need items for the other meals that they would have while he was staying with her, she quickly added sandwich fixings and ingredients for a breakfast casserole to her list. Then, she made a note to stop in at The Roost and order some pastries for breakfast on Christmas morning. Her parents had always allowed her to have a special breakfast on Christmas. It was the one time that she could indulge in sweet treats without lectures on how much damage she would do to her teeth.

On the morning of the twenty-first, Hermione rose early. Walking into her sitting room, she realized that she'd completely forgotten to open the Advent gift yesterday. She'd been so preoccupied with planning for Harry's visit that it didn't cross her mind.

Opening the drawer from the twentieth, she found a tiny vial on a chain. The vial contained the smallest possible drop of a potion. She knew exactly what this was the moment she glimpsed the pearly sheen of the liquid. Stomach twisting in knots, she read the accompanying note…

_Hermione, _

_Don't worry, I haven't added anything of me to the Amortentia. In fact, it was brewed by Professor Slughorn. He owed me a favor and I cashed in. He sealed the vial himself using his magical signature. If you are worried, he assured me that he would be happy to confirm that for you. My greatest wish is that this potion evokes memories of me when you smell it. _

Hermione didn't need confirmation from anyone. She was perfectly aware of what Amortentia smelled like. It hadn't changed at all over the years. Uncorking the bottle, she inhaled deeply and smelled the mingled scents of freshly mown grass, new parchment, spearmint toothpaste, and a scent that she hadn't recognized the first time she'd smelled it. She'd only figured out what it was when she'd first shared a bed with Harry. As she'd pillowed her head on his warm chest and breathed in, she was transported back to 6th-year potions at Hogwarts. To this day, she still didn't have words to describe that final scent. It was musky and masculine and at the same time spicy and sweet. To her, it was simply Harry and it was intoxicating.

Forcing herself to recork the bottle and set it aside, she reached to open today's drawer. Inside, she found a book that magically enlarged when she drew it out. When she opened it, she couldn't stop the flow of tears that streamed down her face. It was a photo album and was filled with pictures of her with her family from birth until the end of sixth-year when she'd modified her parents' memories.

How on earth had these been saved? The only copies of these photographs had been stored in her childhood home. When she'd visited after the war, they were shredded like confetti upon the floor - beyond even magical repair. She'd tried every spell she knew and hadn't been able to put them back together.

The only photo that she'd been left with was one that was stored in her beaded bag that she took with her on the Horcrux hunt. That was a photo of her with her parents the last Christmas that they spent together as a family. She cherished that lone picture but now, oh, now, she had an entire album of precious memories. This was the best thing anyone could give her. With the opening of that new photo place in Diagon Alley, she'd realized that she could get some things back through memories but having the physical copies of the muggle photos that had once belonged to her parents was more special than anything that could be created from her memories. She loved the glimpse of life through her parents' eyes that these photos gave her.

On the morning of the twenty-second, Hermione remembered to check the calendar before work. Opening the tiny drawer, she drew out a key. Turning it over in her hands, she looked at it for several minutes, attempting to figure out what it was for. Looking inside the little drawer again, she searched for a note or another object that could shed some light on the meaning of the key, but found nothing.

Confused, she stood there lost in thought for several minutes before shaking herself and placing the key back in the drawer she'd found it in for safekeeping. Mentally, she added yet another question to the list that she needed answers to when she met her mystery guy.

Realizing that she'd wasted far more time than planned, she rushed to get ready for work. She was planning to leave at lunchtime today and go and get her food shopping done before returning to her flat to prepare as much as she could.

The following morning, Hermione awoke, thrilled that Harry would be there after work and would stay there with her, only her for two blissful nights. She was a little nervous because she knew that she needed to confess her feelings.

Harry wasn't due to arrive until around five so Hermione decided that going in and working until lunchtime was a good plan because it would allow her to return to her flat and focus on calming down before he got there. Taking a moment before she left, she stopped next to the calendar and opened the drawer labeled, twenty-three. Inside was a lovely little Christmas ornament shaped like a pair of white ice skates with the year '2004' painted on the boot of one skate. Seeing that, made her wonder, again, if it was possible that Harry was behind all of this. She was terrified of being disappointed if he wasn't but too many things were beginning to point to him.

Arriving at work, she found Harry, himself standing by her desk holding to-go cups with The Roost's logo on the side. Wondering how she could ask about the ornament, she greeted him with a kiss on the cheek and accepted the cup that he held out to her. "Good morning, I thought you might need a pick-me-up. It's a gingerbread latte."

"Morning, Harry. Thank you. That sounds amazing." Taking a sip, she grinned up at him and told him, "It's delicious, what a nice surprise."

"You're welcome. There's a scone in that bag for you too," he said, indicating a bag sitting on her desk that she hadn't noticed before.

Thanking him, she took another sip of the wonderful coffee. He went on, "I actually stopped by this morning for another reason," at her nod of encouragement, he continued, "Did you have particular plans for us tonight?"

Studying his body language, Hermione realized that he looked a little nervous. Immediately, her heart sank. He was canceling plans for their little sleepover. Why else would he ply her with coffee and pastries before telling her the reason for stopping by?

Meeting his eyes, Hermione waited for him to just say it. Steeling herself for the worst, she replied, "No. I just thought we could have something simple for dinner, then maybe watch a video. Nothing big."

As she watched, Harry appeared to grow more nervous. All of the little signs were there, the shifting of his weight, the way he drew out what he was asking, his face growing slightly red, the apologetic smile. All of it. She only hoped that he was just blowing her off for tonight and that they could still be together on Christmas Eve as planned. How pathetic was that?

Hearing Harry draw in a deep breath, she met his eyes again and he asked, "Would it be okay with you if we went out to dinner tonight instead? I don't want to ruin any plans that you may have made for us, but I thought going out could be nice."

Dumbfounded, Hermione could only stare. Finally, she stammered out, "D..D...Dinner?"

Hanging his head dejectedly, Harry quickly said, "If you don't want to, it's fine. I just thought…."

Finally coming to her senses, Hermione stepped closer to Harry, touching his arm, she waited until he met her gaze, then replied quietly, "I would love to have dinner with you tonight. I was honestly only shocked for a moment because I thought that you were about to cancel our plans for the evening and you just wanted to make sure that you weren't spoiling anything big."

"Oh, Hermione, no! I wouldn't cancel our plans for anything or anyone. I've been looking forward to this since I left your flat last weekend."

After Harry left, Hermione ran over the conversation in her head. She briefly wondered if he intended their dinner to be a date, but dismissed the thought. They were constantly having dinner together and it had never been a date. That couldn't be his intent, but why was he so adamant that he was looking forward to spending the next few days, and nights with her? Could it mean as much to him as it did to her? Realizing then that she'd forgotten to ask about the ornament, she made a mental note to ask him that evening.

Trying to shake off those thoughts, Hermione got to work but soon her mind was drifting and she was remembering the kiss that she'd shared with Harry under the enchanted mistletoe. That kiss certainly hadn't been one-sided. He'd participated just as much as she had, but he hadn't made an attempt to kiss her again since then. Why?

Relieved when she'd finished her day at work, Hermione wished everyone in her office a Happy Christmas before apparating home. Knowing that she had hours before Harry would be there, she went into the kitchen and made a sandwich then had a long soak in the lovely scented bubbles that she'd gotten out of the calendar. After her bath she lounged around in her bathrobe for a while, trying to focus her attention to anything that would keep her mind off of what was going on with Harry

Soon, realizing that she had to get ready for dinner with Harry, she went to her wardrobe to try and decide what to wear. Making a decision that she wanted to behave as if it was actually a date whether it was or not, she considered her options. She hadn't thought to ask if they were going muggle or magical, casual or dressy, she went with a classic, little black dress.

The dress was very basic and could be dressed up or down. It was a solid black,long-sleeved, wrap style dress that had a slight a-line shape and ended just above her knee. She added a lace topped camisole underneath and paired it with black tights and black knee-high boots. Then she added some pretty silver jewelry to break up the solid black. She applied a light dusting of makeup and smoothed her curls before stepping back to survey her appearance. Deciding that she looked like she put in an effort while also looking like she would fit in anywhere they went, she went into the sitting room to wait for Harry to arrive.

Right at five, her floo lit up and Harry stepped out looking handsome in a pair of black slacks, pale green shirt, and dark green tie. Rising from the sofa to greet him, she told him, "You look very handsome tonight. I wasn't sure what to wear since you didn't say where we are going, so I'm happy to see that I guessed correctly."

"I'll say," remarked Harry, giving her an obvious once over, "You look bloody gorgeous."

Trying and failing to appear unaffected by Harry's seemingly casual remark, Hermione felt herself grow warm and knew she was blushing. In an attempt to calm herself, she walked to the coat rack and grabbed her coat before turning and asking, "Where are we going?"

Putting on the coat that had previously been slung over his arm before offering Hermione assistance with hers, Harry only raised an eyebrow, saying, "You'll see."

Sending him a fake glare, Hermione allowed him to take her arm for apparition. When they arrived at their destination, Hermione took in the dark alleyway and muttered, "Well, that answers one question."

At Harry's questioning look she added, "We're in the muggle world. I wasn't sure if we were going muggle or magical."

Smiling, he placed a hand on the small of her back, leading her out of the alley and onto a bustling street that Hermione recognized instantly. Gasping audibly, she whispered, "How did you know? All of these things can't be coincidental. First, you take me ice skating where my parents always took me, next, it was the same tree farm, then caroling, now this."

"This?" questioned Harry, "What exactly is this?"

"It's the restaurant that my parents brought me to when I did something exceptionally well. If I had top marks at the end of term, they would bring me here as a treat. I know that it doesn't seem to be the kind of place that a child would enjoy, but, honestly, I was never a typical child. I loved being allowed to get dressed up and go out to enjoy a fancy meal. They would always allow me to order dessert here. Dessert was never a daily occurrence in our home so it made it even more special. They loved this place. How did you know?"

"I didn't know that your parents brought you here as a reward, I promise."

Eyeing him, looking for a sign that he was being less than honest, she saw none, but sensed that while he wasn't being dishonest, he wasn't being completely forthright either.

With a deep sigh, she let the subject drop and allowed herself to be led inside Simpson's In The Strand. Breathing in the familiar scents and taking in the unchanged atmosphere, Hermione felt tears prick her eyes.

Dinner was immensely enjoyable once Hermione got over the shock of finding herself in this particular restaurant again. Conversation with Harry flowed freely, as usual, and he suggested that she order for both of them so that she could enjoy all of her old favorites in one meal instead of having to choose. When the food arrived, they happily shared the meals between them.

After dinner, they strolled through the nearby park. Harry holding her hand in his as they walked. Hermione stole a sideways glance at him and found that he was watching her intently. Meeting his gaze accidentally made her stomach flip and her heart rate increase. After covertly taking some deep breaths she asked, "Harry, is everything okay?"

"Of course it is. I'm having a fabulous time. Everything about tonight has been perfect. Why do you ask?" responded Harry, looking a little worried for some reason.

"No reason. You just haven't really said much since dinner. I didn't know if something was wrong."

"I'm simply enjoying the night, your company, and the beautiful scenery," Harry smiled back at her.

Something about the way he worded his response triggered an emotion that she couldn't quite describe. It was a nervous anticipation of sorts. She truly didn't know what it was or why she was feeling it, but it caused her hands to shake slightly.

Harry, noticing the tremor, looked at her with concern, "You're shivering. Let's get you home where you can warm up."

Not wanting to explain, Hermione simply nodded and allowed him to lead her into a secluded area where they could apparate back to her flat.

When they arrived, Hermione kissed Harry on the cheek and softly said, "Thank you again, Harry. You can't know how much tonight meant to me. I loved every minute."

Smiling down at her, Harry enveloped her in a hug and said into her hair, "You're very welcome. Thank you for allowing me to change our plans. I loved taking you out like that. If you'd like, we can do this more often."

Nodding into his shoulder, Hermione said, "I would love that."

Pulling away, Hermione asked, "Want to get into our pj's and go watch another Christmas movie before bed? We can watch more tomorrow too if you like."

It was Harry's turn to grin and nod, "That sounds perfect. We can stay in our pajamas all day and be lazy while watching movies."

When they were both changed and settled onto Hermione's bed, she started the movie but was soon sound asleep, lulled by the comfort of having Harry next to her.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The next morning, waking pillowed on Harry's chest as she had the previous week, Hermione didn't bother trying to move. She was planning to confess her feelings that evening and she was unsure how that would go. Not knowing if this was the last opportunity she would get to be with Harry like this, she wanted to enjoy every second. Feeling Harry's arms tighten around her body slightly, pulling her in as close as humanly possible, caused her heart to swell. What would it be like to wake like this every morning?

Hermione's pondering was rudely interrupted by a light tapping on the window. Sighing deeply, she untangled herself from Harry's grasp and rose to let the owl in that was waiting patiently. Not recognizing the bird, she took the proffered letter and passed the owl a treat. It took off with a hoot of thanks, not waiting for a reply.

Sitting back on the bed, she opened the note and read…

_Hermione, _

_I'll be by tonight at eight. I hope that's okay with you. I told you that I would reveal who I am in due time. Tonight's the night._

_Love, _

_Father Christmas_

Feeling as if all the air had been sucked out of the room, Hermione passed the note to a curious Harry. Once he'd read it, she watched closely for his reaction.

With an unreadable expression, Harry said, "You'll finally get to find out who sent you that calendar. Once you meet him, you'll be able to find out how he got that information. That should make you pretty happy, yeah?"

"Yeah, sure… I guess," responded Hermione, flatly. Honestly, she wasn't sure how she felt. Of course, her inquisitive nature forced her to need to know how this person came to know everything that they knew. However, that was the only reason she was curious now.

Realizing that she now only had until eight this evening to work up the nerve to confess how she felt to her best friend, Hermione rose from the bed, determined to make the most of their day before she potentially ruined everything. Glancing back at Harry, she informed him, "I have a breakfast casserole in the refrigerator. I'm going to go and pop it into the oven. Once it's warmed, we can eat in here while watching a movie. Why don't you pick one out while I'm gone." Not waiting for a response, she practically ran from the room.

All-day they stayed like that. Only stopping for hastily made sandwiches at lunch. Finally, Hermione realized that it was after three o'clock and she wanted to have dinner ready early so that she and Harry would have time to talk about everything before this other guy showed up at eight.

Turning to Harry, she said, "I need to go start on dinner. Why don't you go and have a shower while I get everything into the oven. Then, I can get myself dressed while it all cooks and we can eat around five or so. Is that okay with you?"

Harry nodded his agreement and headed into her bathroom. She walked into the kitchen and after putting water on to boil for the potatoes, she slid the chicken into the oven.

By the time Harry emerged, she had carrots and potatoes ready and waiting under a stasis charm and there was enough time left on the chicken that she could go and get herself ready for the evening.

When she came out of her bedroom a while later, wearing an emerald green sweater dress that hugged her curves in the best possible way, Harry was sitting on her sofa. He looked her up and down and in a slightly snarky tone said, "Dressed up for your mystery man, Hermione?"

Chewing on her lip, nervously she turned to face Harry who was watching her intently, "I actually... Well, you see, I planned a special dinner for you and I before he gets here. I asked you over here to celebrate with me and I just wanted to do it properly."

Harry's answering grin was brilliant. He looked truly happy at what she'd admitted. "Let me just go get changed too then. Mind if I floo home for a few minutes? I want to get something more appropriate, seeing what you're wearing."

Hermione nodded at him and he turned to leave. Turning back, he closed the distance between them and kissed her on the cheek, saying, "By the way, you look beautiful," before flooing away to Grimmauld.

Placing a hand to her stomach where the butterflies seemed to have taken up permanent residence, Hermione rushed into the kitchen hoping to have everything perfect when Harry returned.

Checking the time, she saw that it was nearing dinner time. They had three hours before the sender of the calendar was due to arrive. Hoping that Harry would be back soon, she began to dish up the meal that she'd prepared and set the table. In Harry's absence, the nerves were setting in. She still wasn't sure how Harry felt, and she didn't know how to react to this other person. She was in love with Harry and it wouldn't be fair to any of them for her to pretend that she wasn't.

By the time Harry returned, the table was set with a trio of golden candles in the center of the table. She'd made roast chicken with potatoes and carrots and a chocolate trifle for dessert. She had the bottle of champagne chilling and she was ready, other than the nerves that plagued her.

"Wow, this looks amazing," said Harry, coming up behind her and placing a kiss on her cheek. They sat down and began to eat the delicious meal. Silently eating until Hermione looked up and noticed that Harry had put his fork down and was watching her. "Is everything okay?"

"Hermione," said Harry, looking thoughtful, "why didn't things work out between you and Ron? I've always wondered but never asked. It seemed like one day he was announcing that the two of you were a couple and the next you weren't. Why?"

Looking down at her plate, Hermione gathered her thoughts. She guessed that now was as good of a time as any to have this conversation. She'd planned on having it tonight anyway.

Raising her head and meeting Harry's gaze she answered, "It's because we were never together in the first place. You see," she paused, sighing and deciding how to continue, "Ron kissed me during the final battle when we went down to the chamber to get the Basilisk fangs. I didn't have the heart to reprimand him when we were headed into battle and could possibly die and he completely misunderstood. Then, the next day when he announced that we were finally together, seeing the expression on Mrs. Weasley's face, I couldn't say anything. She was grieving so deeply that I couldn't break her heart. So, that night I talked to Ron and explained that he and I weren't together and we couldn't work because I only felt friendship for him. He was upset but accepted it and we eventually moved past being a little uncomfortable with each other."

"I don't understand, you wanted to be with Ron all those years. Why didn't you want him when you had the chance?"

"You big dolt, I wasn't in love with him. I was in love with you!" Hermione blurted out. Then, horrified by her lack of self-control, she closed her eyes and sighed, covering her face with her hands. She hadn't wanted to say it like that.

After a few moments, she slowly raised her head, meeting Harry's eyes, terrified of the rejection she was certain she would see there. Hermione was surprised to see shock instead.

"Why," he whispered, "why didn't you tell me then?"

Tears in her eyes, remembering the emotions that she felt back then, the emotions that were surfacing now, voice breaking, she said, "You seemed so happy for us. You never tried to talk to me, to find out how I was feeling. Then, or in the tent when Ron came back. I thought that what was between us must have been just loneliness for you... Then it seemed that you would get back together with Ginny and I didn't want to ruin your chance at happiness..." She trailed off, looking up to see Harry smiling sadly at her.

"It seems that we were both a bit thick. In an attempt to make sure that the other was happy, we made ourselves miserable." Reaching across the table to take her hand in his, he continued, "I only wanted you. I was madly in love with you. Why do you think I've never really dated anyone seriously?"

"Honestly, I didn't know. Once it was clear that I wasn't with Ron and you weren't with Gin, I thought that if you were interested you would have said something or acted interested at least."

"I was an idiot, I told myself that you needed to finish school and I was becoming an Auror which was a dangerous job. I simply convinced myself that you deserved better and I was terrified of losing your friendship. If I suggested a romantic relationship and you weren't interested... I just couldn't lose you. You've been everything to me for so long. I was so bloody afraid of the risk."

"Oh, Harry, it seems that we've both been stupid about this. My reasons for never confessing my feelings were the same. I was afraid to lose you."

"What about now? How do you feel now? Do you still want something with me, or do you want to explore something with your secret admirer?"

Hermione smiled softly at Harry, hating the fearful, uncertain look on his face. "I had already decided that before this mystery guy was set to arrive tonight I was going to be completely honest with you. I already knew that if you were willing to give me a chance, give us a chance, that no other man, regardless of how nice the gifts are, could ever stand a chance."

This was it, it was time to put it all out there. Meeting his eyes, voice shaking with nerves and emotion, she admitted, "You're it for me. I've been in love with you for the past seven years. No one has ever come close to capturing my heart the way you have. If you don't feel the same way, I understand, and I don't ever want anything to come between us as friends. So, no pressure to feel the same."

"Oh, but I do feel the same. I'm completely and totally in love with you. It's always been you for me. There can't be anyone else." Rising to his feet, he moved around to her side of the table and pulled her into his arms, one hand reaching to tenderly cup her cheek while the other wrapped around her waist, pulling her in snug against his chest. Gazing deeply into her eyes, he leaned in and touched his lips to hers gently. Hermione's arms came up, one hand playing with the soft hair at the nape of his neck as her eyes fluttered closed, allowing herself to be swept away in the emotion conveyed as they deepened the kiss. It was magical, gentle and sweet. After several long minutes, they pulled apart. Harry looked into her eyes and whispered, "I love you."

Smiling through her tears, she whispered, "I love you too."

After their emotional confessions, they finished dinner, constantly touching and smiling until their cheeks hurt. When they were done, Hermione suggested that they take dessert and champagne into the sitting room. Sitting there in front of a roaring fire, sipping the sweet champagne, Hermione confessed, "If it weren't for being curious about how he did it, I honestly wouldn't want to meet this mystery guy at all. I'm not looking forward to what is going to be an awkward conversation."

Harry smirked at her. " Did you open today's gift yet?"

"No," she admitted, "I tend to get caught up and forget on the days that you and I spend together."

"Well, why don't you do that now."

Nodding, she rose and opened the final drawer. Inside was a small object nestled inside a velvet bag. It felt heavy for its size. Removing it from the bag, she gasped. I was a beautiful crystal otter Christmas ornament.

Turning to Harry to show him, she saw that he held a wrapped box in his hands. Extending it her way he said, "Open it."

Confused at why he wanted her to open a gift from him now, she eyed him questioningly but complied. When she saw what was inside, she looked at him with tears flowing freely down her face. In the box was a matching crystal stag.

Rushing over to him and throwing herself in his lap, she cradled his face in her hands and asked, "It's been you the whole time?"

"Of course, who else?" He told her, joy in his voice. Kissing her gently he said, "Hermione, if you'd been thinking clearly you would have been suspicious at my lack of worry about who may be sending you personal items, about who was watching you that closely."

"You're right, of course. I haven't been thinking clearly, not for a long time. If I had, maybe I would have seen what was right in front of me the whole time."

"We know now and that's all that matters. I fully intend to make up for lost time," he promised, drawing her in for a deep kiss.

After a moment, Hermione pulled away, realization dawning, "How, Harry, how did you know all of those things? I never told you any of that. How did you know?"

"Well, love, I'll confess, I was a little bit Slytherin there. Do you remember giving those memories to the mind healers to try to stimulate your parents' memories?"

"Yes, of course, I was so hopeful that therapy would work."

"Well, as you also know, I had been keeping tabs on their progress and you had given the healers permission to speak to me."

Hermione nodded. "Well, when you decided to stop trying altogether, I went and visited one last time to talk to the healers, making sure that there was nothing more to be done. Honestly, I was just looking for some way to help you. You were so depressed… I had to do something." He adjusted her body on his lap so he could get both arms around her and she could rest her head on his shoulder before continuing, "When I learned that they were certain that they'd done all they could, they asked if I could find out what you wanted to do with the memories you'd provided. I simply offered to return them to you and instead used them to see how I could make you happy. Please don't be angry that I was less than truthful. I did it all with the best intentions."

"I can't be angry with you about that. I'm the happiest that I've been in so long. I'm so thankful that Theo didn't want a relationship with me. I could have settled for him out of fear of being alone, I nearly did. Thank Merlin he didn't want that."

"That relationship was the kick in the pants that I needed. I spent all those months that the two of you were together being terrified that I would lose you forever."

Nodding, she looked at him thoughtfully, "I understand how you gathered all the information, but how were you able to repair the photos and book? I tried and tried to mend those things and it was impossible. How did you do it?"

Smiling softly at her, Harry admitted, "That wasn't all me. I gathered up all the fragments from your old home and took everything to a wizard that I found who specializes in repairing things that are magically destroyed. He wasn't able to reconstruct everything that I brought to him but I was pleased that he was able to repair some of it."

Kissing him deeply, Hermione drew away and resting her forehead against his, said, "What you were able to save was amazing. It means the world to me. Thank you, I didn't think it was possible but your thoughtfulness in all of this makes me love you even more than I already did"

"I did it because I love you so much, and I know how it feels to have nothing left of your parents. I remember how I felt when Hagrid gave me that photo album filled with pictures of my parents and their friends. It was, and still is, so special to me. I wanted to be able to give that to you."

Unable to resist kissing him again, Hermione pressed her lips to his, knowing that she would never grow tired of kissing him. With a groan, Harry pulled her close and soon they were engaged in a full-on snogging session. Coming to her senses somewhat, Hermione realized that she still had an unanswered question. Pulling away, she whispered, "Harry, I have another question."

"What's that, love?"

"What's the key for?"

Smirking at her, Harry said, "That is something that I need to show you. Grab your coat and the key."

Eyeing him speculatively, Hermione did as he asked. She was too curious to refuse but she was impatient as well and wanted to know without waiting.

Practically running from the room, Hermione grabbed her coat and then retrieved the little key. When she was ready, she returned to the sitting room to find that Harry had donned his coat as well.

Meeting her gaze, he simply smiled and offered his arm. When she took it, he turned on the spot apparating them to a snow-covered clearing surrounded by tall trees. In the center of the clearing sat the most beautiful house Hermione had ever seen.

Gasping, she turned back to Harry. "Is this...?"

"The Forest of Dean, yes," he interrupted, grinning at her.

"But, I don't understand. Why are we here? Whose house is this?"

Looking back at the lovely house, she felt, rather than heard Harry shift behind her.

Quietly, he said, "Do you remember what you said to me the last time we were here?" Without waiting for an answer, he went on, "You told me, 'maybe we should just stay here, grow old here.'"

Turning around to face him, eyes filling with tears once again, she said, "You mean..." breaking off with an audible gasp and covering her mouth with a gloved hand when she saw Harry down on one knee before her, ring in his hand.

Frozen in shock at the sight, she couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

Harry continued, "Hermione, I want to grow old with you. Here, in this forest, in this house, and if you don't like it here, anywhere you want to be is fine with me. I just want to be with you. I love you."

"Harry," she broke in, not allowing him to finish, feeling the need to be the voice of reason. "Don't you think we are skipping some important steps? Shouldn't we date or something first?"

"You silly witch, what do you think we've been doing for the past eleven months?"

Thinking back, Hermione realized that he was right. As soon as she and Theo ended things and Harry had gotten his promotion to the desk job with stable hours he started showing up nearly every weekend and some weeknights to take her out or just hang out.

"I just thought you didn't want me to feel lonely and with your new job, you were finally free on weekends."

Harry smirked, "Well, that's exactly what I wanted you to think, wasn't it?"

"Harry, sometimes you are entirely too Slytherin for your own good," she retorted.

Hearing Harry starting to speak again Hermione cut in, "But, it wasn't really dating. We still don't know for sure how we will work. What if it doesn't work out?"

"Hermione, we lived together in a tiny tent in the most stressful of circumstances. I fell in love with you then and my feelings haven't changed. Most marriages wouldn't survive what we've already been through together, but here we are. If you really need time, I'll give you all the time in the world. I hope it won't take another seven years, but if it does, I'll still be here. I honestly don't need the time. I know that you're it for me. You always have been and you always will be. So, what will it be? Do you need time or can we do this my way?"

Smiling through fresh tears she said, "Well, I guess... Just this once, we can do it your way."

Laughing, Harry exclaimed, "Finally!" then, his face full of love and adoration, he asked, "Hermione Jean Granger, will you marry me and make me the happiest wizard alive?"

"Yes, Harry, yes! I'll marry you!" answered Hermione, allowing him to slide the ring on her finger before leaning down and snogging him so vigorously that she knocked them both back into the freshly fallen snow.

xXx

Early on Christmas morning, Harry and Hermione sat cuddled together, wrapped in a soft blanket on the sofa in their new home. Neither had been able to stand the thought of spending even one more night elsewhere. They'd gone back to Hermione's flat to gather up the essentials, deciding that they would move all their belongings in after Christmas.

At Hermione's insistence, they had shrunk down the tree, decorations and all and brought it along with the Advent calendar. She'd wanted to enjoy Christmas morning together properly. Now, sitting here, she gazed at the beautiful Advent calendar that had been the catalyst in bringing them together at last. Basking in the comfort of Harry's embrace, she dreamed of future Christmases when their own children would rush from their rooms each morning, excited to see what the calendar held that day.


End file.
